Data storage devices such as optical storage disks and other optical storage media are increasingly being used to store digitized video, digitized music, digitized photographs, computer programs and other types of data. There are a large variety of types of data storage devices currently being used and others being developed. For example, among the currently most popular types of optical storage devices are compact disks (CD) and Digital Versatile Disks (DVD). CDs and DVDs can be in various formats such as read only memory (ROM), recordable (R), and read/write (RW).
Labeling of Compact Disks (CD) and Digital Versatile disks (DVD) has in the past been routinely accomplished through screen printing methods. In screen printing a stencil of the image is prepared, placed in contact with the CD/DVD. Ink is then spread by squeegee across the stencil surface. Where there are openings in the stencil the ink passes through to the surface of the CD/DVD and the image is produced. Preparation of the stencil is an elaborate, time consuming and expensive process.
Screen printing can provide a wide variety of label content and can be cost effective when identically labeling large numbers of disks. However, when labeling fewer numbers of disk (e.g., less that 400), the set-up costs can result in a high labeling cost per disk.
CDs and DVDs are increasingly being used for all kinds of ad hoc data distribution; therefore, the ability to, with maximum flexibility, provide inexpensive labeling of CDs and DVDs is highly desirable.